Covariates of Rural Female Work Participation: A Study of the Hill Region of Darjeeling District in West Bengal, India

Srijana Rai and Sanchari Roy Mukherjee
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Srijana Rai: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Kurseong College, srijanarai2001@yahoo.com
Sanchari Roy Mukherjee: Professor, Department of Economics, University of North Bengal, sancharirm@gmail.com

Journal, 2018, vol. 8, issue 2, 64-91

Abstract: Women’s labour market decisions depend greatly on decisions taken at the household level. These decisions in turn are determined by social, economic, demographic, personal, religious, and cultural factors. This study investigates and identifies the covariates of rural female work participation using primary survey data from 2016–17 for three villages in the hill region of Darjeeling district (including Kalimpong sub-division) in the State of West Bengal. Based on a sample of 235 rural women, the study estimates two models using logistic regression analysis. We observe that women’s participation in paid activities is significantly and positively related to the level of education, and significantly and negatively related to joint family structure, the presence of children below the age of six, and the extent of household landholding. For both paid and unpaid work on family farms, we observe that age has a non-linear effect on women’s participation. Women belonging to a unitary family structure and agricultural households are more likely to participate in paid and unpaid work as family labour, controlling for other variables.

Keywords: Female work participation; rural; hill districts; paid work; unpaid work; covariates; West Bengal; Darjeeling. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fas:journl:v:8:y:2018:i:2:p:64-91

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